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Brandin Podziemski's injury dented the Golden State Warriors as they head into the final stretch of their matchup against the Boston Celtics at Chase Center on Tuesday. The rookie exited the game and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest. He finished his evening with five points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal in 16 minutes. Podziemski found a berth in the starting five when head coach Steve Kerr rang in changes in his starting unit. Andrew Wiggins was moved to the bench, and Klay Thompson took forward duties with Draymond Green indefinitely suspended.
According to The Athletic's Warriors' reporter Anthony Slater, Podziemski was ruled out with a lower back strain:
Podziemski was the No. 19 pick in the 2023 NBA draft by the Warriors and went from being a role player to climbing up the rungs to bag a starting spot.
The ongoing season sees the 20-year-old averaging of 8.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per contest. He has been shooting 45.5% from the field and 40.4% from beyond the arc in 20 games. Brandin Podziemski's exit now puts the focus on the likes of Cory Joseph and Moses Moody.
Brandin Podziemski's hustle garners high praise from Stephen Curry
After edging out Andrew Wiggins and making the starting lineup for Golden State, Brandin Podziemski's hustle and high IQ play was well appreciated by veteran superstar Stephen Curry. The 4x NBA champion was lavish in his praise for the rookie for his efforts in the team's win against the Brooklyn Nets earlier this week:
“Some of the stuff that he does, you can’t teach, there’s a feel. Being in the right place, anticipating plays, hustle. I said that he’s a master right now of things that you can control in a game of basketball. Trying to make the right play. Giving the extra effort. The will to impact a game. Those intangibles are huge…Keep doing that and he’ll get rewarded for it.”
Podziemski had a good game against Brooklyn with 19 points, five rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block. Offensively, the rookie is earning his minutes with his aggressive level of play, but there is still enough work that needs to be done on the defensive end.
The Warriors will feel happy that the rookie was an absolute steal, and on his part, Brandin Podziemski will look at making more meaningful contributions. For now, he already has the backing of his teammates.
